


if love is what we're after

by ylissianknights



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU - Maiden Goodwitch, Comfort, Dancing, Dating, Established Relationship, Exploration, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, Mid Volume 7, Nonbinary Ruby (RWBY), Nuts and Dolts - Freeform, Set in Mantle & Atlas, can be read as canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28160685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ylissianknights/pseuds/ylissianknights
Summary: “You kids have been working way too hard lately. You only get to be young once, you know,” Pietro smiles at them before turning to cough into his fist. “Therefore, I’ve set up a bit of a… treasure hunt for you to complete. One unique one for each couple, tailor made. The couple who finds all of the locations on the list, with selfie proof, wins a free day off.”Everyone exchanged intrigued looks at the last part. A free day off? Seemed too good to be true. Ruby was feeling a little skeptical themself, before Penny quietly slid up next to them with a smile on her face.“An entire day just with each other... Oh Ruby, does that not sound spectacular?”---Set during Volume 7; Ruby and Penny go on a tour around the Kingdom (and maybe share a few kisses along the way).
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	if love is what we're after

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in the same universe as my other fic "you'll find something waiting," aka the 'Maiden Goodwitch' universe. You don't have to read my other fic to enjoy this one, or be familiar with the AU! Major details from the AU don't pop up in this, but Pyrrha is alive in this universe while Goodwitch is dead.

* * *

#  _Mantle;_

The morning sky over the Solitas tundra is streaked with red and purple as the sun rises above the distant mountains. The tundra itself is like the unbroken surface of a mirror, reflecting the warm hues of the sky back upwards.

As the transport vessel lowers down into Mantle, Ruby finds themself mesmerized by it. It’s a sight they’ve seen a few times by now, given how their team has been busy with huntsman missions all around Solitas, but it never ceases to fill them with a sense of wonderment.

Ruby finally tears their attention away from the transport’s window to open their scroll. Today’s mission is… unique.

_“You kids have been working way too hard lately. You only get to be young once, you know,” Pietro smiles at them before turning to cough into his fist. “Therefore, I’ve set up a bit of a… treasure hunt for you to complete. One unique one for each couple, tailor made. The couple who finds all of the locations on the list, with selfie proof, wins a free day off.”_

_Everyone exchanged intrigued looks at the last part. A free day off? Seemed too good to be true. Ruby was feeling a little skeptical themself, before Penny quietly slid up next to them with a smile on her face._

_“An entire day just with each other... Oh Ruby, does that not sound spectacular?”_

Ruby grins at the memory. Penny was delighted over the idea, since Pietro knew the right strings to pull for Ironwood to allow her to join them, and who could say no to Penny?

_Definitely not me,_ Ruby thinks to themself, turning to look at her. Penny is resting her head against their shoulder while tapping away at a mobile game. _Probably one that Nora convinced her to try._

Ruby is about to say something to break the silence when the transport slows to a stop. Penny immediately closes her scroll and sits up, grinning. “It seems we’ve arrived!”

Looking out of the window again confirms it. Mantle citizens are mulling about the transport station outside, looking for a ride to their jobs in Atlas or waiting for someone to return from a night shift. Not many people are out and about yet, thankfully. 

Penny’s hand on theirs brings Ruby’s attention back to her. The redhead gives her a questioning look and Ruby smiles sheepishly. 

“Just looking at the crowd.” Satisfied with the answer, Penny smiles back at them and moves to stand up. Ruby follows suit and takes Penny’s hand, so that they don’t get separated, as they shuffle off of the transport.

“So, where’s our first stop again?” Ruby asks once the two of them walk out into Mantle proper. Penny gets out her scroll with her free hand and flicks it open. She immediately starts grinning and practically bounces in place.

“Well, according to our list, we are to travel to one of Mantle’s most famous restaurants: The Lumberjack Cottage!”

“Huh, that’s… an interesting name,” Ruby comments, letting Penny start leading them in the right direction.

“Indeed it is! I haven’t been there, as I lack the organs to properly digest food, but I’ve heard rumors that they serve all sorts of unique meats there, such as direwolf steaks,” Penny rambles off, fascinated. 

“H-huh,” _Direwolf steaks… That really doesn’t sound appetizing._ Ruby keeps the thought to themself though, content to let Penny ramble on about elk and boar and whatever other creatures inhabit the Solitas tundra.

The redhead eagerly leads Ruby through side alleys and obviously memorized shortcuts, neatly avoiding most of the early morning sidewalk traffic. The street knowledge isn’t lost on Ruby, who’s definitely impressed (and relieved).

“You must’ve spent a lot of time in Mantle,” Ruby comments during a lull in Penny’s rambling. The redhead pauses, surprised, before she remembers to continue walking.

“Only once I became its protector a few months ago,” She explains with a smile tinged in sadness, “Once I had permission to explore outside of the lab and Atlas Academy, I must admit I did a lot of sight-seeing in Mantle.”

Ruby remembers what Penny’s told her about the months between her death and their reunion. They remember how Ironwood disbanded Penny’s team and kept her confined to Atlas Academy and the labs underneath for months, afraid to let her out. 

They remember Penny telling them about the loneliness.

Ruby’s heart aches and they softly squeeze Penny’s hand. “I’m surprised you waited for permission instead of just sneaking out, lightningbug,” They tease gently, nudging Penny with their elbow. Penny catches the reference easily and laughs.

“Believe me, I snuck out of my room to explore Atlas Academy on numerous occasions. How else do you think I found the rooftop stargazing place?” Penny replies, smiling.

Ruby is about to say something else as they emerge from another alleyway, but a flash of silver draws their eye. _An Atlesian guard…_ They wrinkle their nose in distaste before getting a _wonderful_ idea. Grinning, Ruby tugs Penny close and leans up to plant a kiss on her cheek.

“Ruby?” Penny holds her free hand to her cheek, flustered.

“Every time you see an Atlesian guard, you have to kiss your girlfriend,” Ruby explains, gesturing towards the guard’s direction, “It’s baaaaasically illegal not to.”

“I see, I will take note of that for future reference,” Penny laughs before something catches her attention, “Anyways, it seems we’ve arrived!”

The street in front of them is bustling with movement, but it’s nothing compared to the street across from them. An outdoor patio is packed with people and there’s a steady stream of customers coming and going from two large, brown doors. Over the entrance is a signpost with the words _Lumberjack Cottage_ along with a symbol of an axe beside a wolf head.

The smell of various meats and spices wafts across the street to the alley where Ruby and Penny are standing. Ruby sniffs the air eagerly, mouth watering. Then, their stomach lets out a prolonged growl which makes Penny laugh again.

“Hungry, firefly?” The redhead teases.

“Maybe a little…” Ruby answers sheepishly, rubbing their stomach. Penny looks back across the street and sighs.

“Too bad we have a schedule to keep to, if we want to win the treasure hunt… Oh I know!” Before Ruby can question her, Penny’s jet boots are whirring to life and the redhead is darting up and over the passing traffic. 

“Wh- _Penny!”_ Ruby calls out, but their girlfriend is already tugging the restaurant’s door open and disappearing inside. Huffing and not about to be willingly left behind, Ruby activates their semblance to quickly cross the road, dodging oncoming vehicles with practiced ease.

By the time they make it over, however, Penny is already re-emerging from the restaurant with a meat skewer in hand. Ruby’s mouth immediately starts watering again, and they internally curse their decision to bypass breakfast in order to get a head start. 

Penny smiles sweetly before holding the skewer out towards them.

“F-for me?” Ruby licks their lips, making Penny giggle.

“Yes, of course! It is my treat,” Penny replies and Ruby eagerly takes the skewer from her hand. “I’ve heard only the best about their specialty meat skewers. It’s a sampling of the various meats found in the surrounding tundra. Direwolf, elk, bear-”

“S-sounds wonderful!” Ruby puts their hand over Penny’s mouth, “But! Let’s keep the mystery meats a s-surprise, okay?”

Penny nods and Ruby removes their hand, instead opting to link their fingers with Penny’s as they nibble at their savory treat.

“Oh, wait, aren’t we supposed to take a selfie in front of our destinations?” Penny asks, pausing. Ruby looks at their hand with the skewer and then at their hand interlocked with Penny’s.

“Oh, right, yeah. Uhm, my hands are a little full… Could you…?”

“Certainly!” Penny tugs her scroll free of its pocket and holds it up to snap a selfie with Ruby in frame. “Say ‘Cheese’ firefly!” 

Ruby grins and leans their head against Penny’s, waving their skewer at the camera as the redhead snaps a picture. Penny sends it off to Pietro with the tap of a few buttons before bringing up their list of destinations.

“It seems our next destination is a plot where street performers gather in Mantle’s Arts district,” She tells Ruby with a delighted grin, “I adore going there and seeing all of the unique dance performances. Oh I hope they’re playing today!”

Ruby lets Penny tug them in the right direction as they nibble at their skewer. Brushing past person after person, Ruby takes note of the increase in sidewalk traffic. The day has definitely begun in earnest in Mantle. 

Another thing Ruby takes note of is when they arrive in the Arts district. The difference between the district and the rest of Mantle is immediately obvious. Intricate graffiti decorates brightly painted walls and the atmosphere seems… lighter.

Having finished the skewer, Ruby tosses the wooden spit into a trashcan as they pass. They certainly feel better after eating, but Ruby misses the warmth of the stick in their hand. Despite the work of the heating grid, they find themself shivering. _Sometimes I really miss the weather in Vale, and even Mistral._

“Ruby, are you cold? I can feel your hand shaking,” Penny asks, turning her head to look at the other teen. The two of them step off to the side of the sidewalk to talk after a passing pedestrian gives them an annoyed look.

“Uhm, maybe a little bit,” Ruby admits, fidgeting with the string of the hoodie they’d borrowed from Jaune earlier. “I’m sure I can tough it out, though-”

Penny lets go of Ruby’s hand and shakes off the light winter jacket she’d been wearing (at Pietro’s request). She holds it out for Ruby expectantly.

“Penny, won’t you get cold?” Ruby asks worriedly. The redhead shakes her head.

“I am much more used to Atlas’s weather than you are,so the cold is less of a problem for me,” She explains. “So, please, Ruby?”

Hesitantly, Ruby accepts. They slip their arms into the sleeves (with Penny’s help) and sighs contentedly. The jacket is still warm thanks to the heat from Penny’s core, so the relief from putting it on is instant.

“Better?” Penny asks, smiling. 

“Much!” Ruby answers, adjusting the jacket and snuggling into it better. They reach for Penny’s hand again and laces their fingers together. “So, is it much further to the uh, performer’s plot?”

“We are nearly there,” Penny smiles, leading the way once again. “You will be able to hear the music from it short- Actually, I think I can hear it now!”

Penny’s pace increases and Ruby does a half-jog to keep up with the taller teen. Sure enough, Ruby can hear the faint sound of hip hop music drifting towards them.

_I’ve got the fever, and this heat’s gonna last all night-_

Ruby spots the dancers from down the street. The plot in question is surrounded by greenery and a handful of benches. In the middle are a multitude of dancers dressed in brightly patterned jackets, and behind them are people with an assortment of instruments along with stereo systems blasting music.

_When I walk in the club and the beat’s so strong-_

Penny leads Ruby into the main performance area where dancers are already dancing to the beat as a singer belts out the lyrics. Ruby can’t resist and starts swaying their hips while Penny does a (very, _very_ cute) little shuffle in place. Ruby notices people in the crowd dancing along to the music while others are clapping in time.

_Party people gonna stay up late, oh and celebrate tonight-_

Looking at Penny again, Ruby gets an idea. _You know what, why not!_

“Dance with me?” Ruby asks, holding their hand out to their girlfriend. Penny clasps her hands together in delight and takes it.

_And if love is what we’re after, celebrate-_

Ruby and Penny dance around each other to the tempo. Ruby shifts to her tiptoes so they can twirl Penny around once, twice, a few more times-

Penny can’t contain her happy giggles as the two of them continue swirling around her other. Her laughter is contagious and Ruby starts giggling along with her.

_This liberation that the music gives, it leaves me so I feel alright-_

“There’s not a lot of _fun_ dancing in atlas,” Penny comments as the two of them swing close together. She interlocks their fingers for a moment before the redhead takes the opportunity to twirl Ruby around.

Ruby giggles again in delight as they swing back towards the other teen.

_And I know this feeling’s here to stay; Joy and laughter-_

“Somehow I’m not surprised,” Ruby replies, grinning, “Atlesians don’t seem like the types for _fun_ dancing. Too stuffy. They only know _fancy_ dancing, and where’s the fun in that?”

Penny nods her head in agreement before giving Ruby another twirl.

_Uh-just a couple of drinks and I’m gone-_

The music lulls into a softer, slower beat. The girlfriends take a moment to slow their own dancing and try to catch their breath.

Penny leans her head against Ruby’s shoulder.

“Do you remember the dance at Beacon?” Ruby is taken aback at the question. The mention of Beacon makes them feel a fleeting pang of sadness before remembering the night in question. They immediately snort.

“Yeah. I kept forgetting to get your number so I had to ask you to the dance _at_ the dance,” Ruby huffs a laugh at the memory. “When Yang found out, she was _relentless_ with the teasing.”

Penny bursts out laughing. “Oh, so that’s what happened? No wonder you looked like, what’s the Valean phrase-a ‘deer in the headlights’?”

“Oh you have _no_ idea how anxious I was,” Ruby chuckles, “It’s never easy asking a strong, talented, smart, pretty-”

“ _Firefly._ ” Penny lifts her head, smiling but rolling her eyes.

_Party people gonna stay up late, oh and celebrate tonight-_

The music starts winding down and Ruby sighs. “That was a nice song, huh?”

“It certainly was. Thank you for the dance, Ruby,” Penny says while straightening out her dress and smiles. 

Ruby gets struck by another idea and grins. “Penny, I have the best idea for this selfie. Trust me?” Penny cocks her head in curiosity and nods.

Ruby takes one of Penny’s hands and twirls the taller teen around, making Penny laugh. Then they let go and lower Penny into a dip with their other hand. The redhead gasps and clings to Ruby’s neck in surprise. Ruby whips out their scroll with their free hand and snaps a quick selfie. “Perfect!”

After sending the selfie to Pietro, they press a quick kiss to Penny’s forehead and lift her back onto her feet. Penny smiles as she leans down to press a kiss to Ruby’s forehead in retaliation. Ruby returns the smile and then intertwines their hand with Penny’s once more.

“Alright, lightningbug, where to next?”

“Looks like…” Penny opens her scroll to check for their next destination, “Oh! A famous statue in the middle of the Arts district. Oh father, he knows I love visiting this courtyard. C’mon, Ruby, you’ll love it!”

As the performers start a new song, Penny leads Ruby around the edge of the plot to the other side, deeper into the Arts district.

Overhead, Ruby notices that the sun is at its peak in the sky, casting shadows all around them. Even more Mantle citizens crowd the sidewalks on their way to lunch breaks and work. They focus on the warmth of Penny’s hand in theirs, a grounding feeling against the anxiety of being among so many strangers.

As a streak of silver catches their attention, Penny is tugging Ruby closer to her side. The redhead plants a gentle kiss on Ruby’s lips, earning a sound of surprise from the brunette. Ruby is about to question it, but then notices the silver streak they saw was an Atlesian soldier.

“You beat me to it,” They laugh. Penny hums in satisfaction as the two of them continue on. Ruby steps closer to Penny’s side to avoid being jabbed by the bony elbows of passers-by. “Are we getting close, Penny?”

“It’s right around this corner!” Penny picks up the pace in her excitement.

The two of them round the corner of the sidewalk and Ruby is… speechless. Ahead of them is indeed a courtyard with an artistic interpretation of Pumpkin Pete in statue form at the center. All around the statue, however, is the real draw of the place.

The edifices of the surrounding buildings are covered in the most intricate, colorful murals that Ruby has ever seen. Abstract paintings of Solitas’s landscape, portraits of famous huntsmen, interpretations of well-known fairy tales. Ruby stops in their tracks, breathless.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Penny asks from beside them, understanding. “The creativity of Mantle’s artists is always something to behold. The murals change often, as fleeting as snowflakes and just as unique. It makes every trip to the Arts district new and memorable. I’m… glad that it was chosen as a stop on our journey around Mantle.”

“Yeah, it’s gorgeous-” Ruby stops mid sentence, their eyes falling on a mural depicting an all-too familiar scene. They drop Penny’s hand and dart through the crowd to get a closer look.

_Amity Arena. The Vytal Tournament._

The centerpiece of the mural is the fight between Penny and Pyrrha, all those months ago. Penny, with her short hair and old dress, her swords swirling around her. Pyrrha, with her long hair and old armor, her spear and shield held at the ready.

Ruby’s heart is racing at the memories of that night. They remember arriving a heartbeat too late and staring at the pile of parts that used to be the girl they had a crush on. The girl they danced with, the girl with a heartbeat and a soul that shined brighter than the stars-

“Oh, this one is… definitely new…” Penny finally catches up to her partner and stares up at the mural. Then she notices the stutter to Ruby’s breath and reaches out for the other teen. “Ruby, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine,” Ruby blinks away tears and rubs at their face, “I just… I’ve gotten used to being here with you. I nearly… forgot about… what happened.”

Penny steps closer and laces their fingers together again. Her warm touch is grounding and Ruby sucks in another stuttering breath. They try not to remember what happened that night at Amity, but the memories come regardless. The sight of Penny’s torn body, the Nevermore swallowing Roman whole, Goodwitch’s death…

“Are you sure you’re alright? If you’re not feeling up to continuing, we can return to Atlas-”

“I’ll be f-fine, really,” Ruby shakes their head, stubbornly refusing to let the memories ruin their day. Their heartbeat refuses to slow down, and the press of people around them is almost too much to handle. Penny’s grip on Ruby’s hand tightens gently, but firmly. 

“Five things you can see,” Penny gently requests. Ruby sucks in another breath.

“Pretty green eyes,” They start, smiling weakly at Penny. The redhead rolls said green eyes but smiles back encouragingly. “Orange hair… Blue building… Man with bright red hair… A spray paint bottle.”

“Good. Four things you can touch.”

“Girlfriend,” Ruby immediately says, making Penny laugh softly. “Hm scratchy wall surface. Wet paint… Fluffy jacket.”

“Three things you can hear?” Ruby takes a deep breath as they listen to the myriad of sounds around them.

“Hm… children’s laughter. Some sort of… elevator music song. And… birds.”

“Two things you can smell?”

“Lavender perfume,” Ruby smiles at Penny. The perfume was a gift a few weeks back, a special suggestion from Yang. The scent was fitting for Penny, ever the calming presence. “Uhm… someone who sprayed too much axe. Er… actually-” They sniff the hoodie borrowed from Jaune. “-Yeesh. Jaune, c’mon. I don’t know how Ren can stand it-”

Penny laughs. “Okay, one thing you can taste.”

Easy. “The meat skewer from the Lumberjack uh, House?”

“Lumberjack _Cottage_ ,” Penny corrects, smiling. “Feel better?”

“Yeah, a lot better,” Ruby smiles back at her. They take a deep breath and look back up at the mural. “I just… can’t help but remember what came _after_. I couldn’t say a word for a week after the fall. I had so many nightmares… where I watched you g-get torn to pieces. I-I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you again-”

Penny tugs Ruby’s hand so that her partner has to turn and face her. She brings up her free hand to cup the side of Ruby’s face and leans down to kiss their forehead. 

“ _Nothing_ will happen to me, Ruby. I promise I won’t leave your side like that again. I swear on my honor as the protector of Mantle.”

Ruby sniffles but smiles, reaching up with their own free hand to put it over Penny’s. The redhead pulls Ruby close and the brunette rests their head against Penny’s shoulder.

Penny presses another kiss to the top of Ruby’s head before resting her cheek against it. Ruby stands there for a few moments, content to close their eyes and listen to Penny’s reassuring mechanical heartbeat.

“I believe you, Penny.”

* * *

#  _Atlas;_

“Here we are: Atlas Central Library!”

Ruby stares up at the building, more than a little awestruck. The library is constructed in a palette of blue and white, like most buildings seem to be in Atlas. A grand marble staircase leads up to a set of elegant, double-wide doors. Framing said doors are a pair of marble manticore statues. The building itself seems to tower above the two of them, though it looks at home nestled among the other Atlesian buildings.

“It’s… definitely big,” Ruby comments as the two of them begin walking up the stairs.

“Indeed it is! The ACL has 5 levels: the archives, main level one, main level two, computer labs, and conference rooms at the top level,” Penny explains, “There’s even a café on main level two which overlooks the central reading area.”

The library is the latest on their list of sight-seeing avenues, this time in Atlas. Compared to the myriad of colors found in Mantle, Atlas is stark white and nearly blinding.

“Wait, did you say there’s a cafe?” Ruby asks as the duo walks through the large double-doors. As if on cue, their stomach begins growling, making Penny giggle.

“Hungry again already, firefly?” She teases, smiling.

“Haha, I guess so,” Ruby rubs their arm and smiles sheepishly. Penny takes Ruby’s right hand and tugs them in the direction of a staircase to the left of the entrance area.

“The cafe is up these stairs,” She explains as Ruby follows her towards them.

“You know, you seem to know a lot about this library,” Ruby comments as they follow Penny’s lead up the staircase. “Did you look it up on Bobble on the way here or…?”

“Well, uhm, me and my team used to come here to study together during my academy days. Before Ironwood disbanded it and reassigned them to other teams, that is,” the redhead explains with a hint of sadness in her voice. 

Ruby brings her hand up to their mouth and kisses the back of it reassuringly. The action earns them a smile as the pair arrive at the top of the stairs.

“There’s the cafe,” Penny says as she gestures towards it. The eatery is situated along the wall to the left side of the central area, where they can see down into the first level of the library below. Ruby grins and lets go of Penny’s hand to dart ahead.

Sliding up to the cashier, Ruby practically bounces in place as they order several strawberry-and-chocolate-chip cookies along with a white chocolate mocha frappuccino. Penny walks over to the overhang and leans against the railing while waiting for Ruby to complete their purchase.

“Sweet tooth today, Ruby?” Penny giggles as her partner walks over with their treats.

“I’ve always had a sweet tooth,” Ruby says matter-of-factly, grinning, “That’s why we get along so well, since you’re the sweetest girl in Remnant.”

“Awh, now who’s the sweetest?” Ruby gives Penny an exaggerated wink in reply, making their girlfriend laugh.

“Hey, Penny… Out of curiosity… what were your days as a student in Atlas Academy like?” Ruby asks as they begin nibbling away at their cookies. Penny looks surprised for a moment before a nostalgic look comes over her.

“Oh, they were lovely,” She starts, smiling. “It was the first time I was on my own. Or, as much as I could be. Away from my father and the labs and the ace-ops… I was so eager to make friends and enjoy some freedom. And, I did! I met you and the others-”

“What about at Atlas?” Ruby interjects, raising an eyebrow. _It would’ve been a whole semester before she met all of us in Vale._

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you have any friends at Atlas?” Ruby clarifies. “I know your first year got cut short, like mine, but…”

“At Atlas Academy, teams are chosen based on a multitude of tests and an intense scrutinizing of your current and past performances,” Penny begins, that sad tone back in her voice. “Thus, teams are formed of individuals who work well together in a fighting capacity but… sometimes, not in a ‘friend’ capacity. And not everyone who applies to Atlas Academy wants to become a huntsman. Some join just for the benefit of a comfy life in the military. My team, and many among my grade, were not interested in making friends. Or, at least, making friends with me.”

“Well they don’t know what they missed out on,” Ruby tells her firmly, putting a hand over one of Penny’s. “They’d be one of the luckiest people on Remnant to call you their friend.”

“Thank you, Ruby,” Penny looks at them, smiling warmly. Ruby returns the smile and plants a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Of course, lightningbug,” Ruby tells her before leaning against the banister beside the redhead. “And now that my cookies have been eaten and my stomach appeased, selfie time?”

Ruby slings an arm around Penny's shoulders as the two squish close together for the selfie. Ruby gives a peace sign as Penny snaps the picture and then she sends it off to Pietro. Ruby sips at their coffee while Penny swipes through her scroll.

“Hm, it appears that our next destination is… Atlas’s National Collaborational Museum of Art,” the redhead comments as she looks at the message containing their list of destinations.

“Wait, ‘collaborational’...” Ruby blinks, “that… reminds me of an art museum back in Vale. I think Blake and Ren went there together once.”

“It makes sense for there to be such a museum in Vale,” Penny says, nodding. She and Ruby interlace their fingers as they begin their exit of the building. “It was founded as a collaboration between the Four Kingdoms following the end of the Great War. Its intent was to foster improved inter-kingdom relationships via an exchange of cultural ideas. As such, there is a branch of the museum located in each kingdom.”

Ruby whistles as they hold the door of the museum open for Penny, “Wow, lightningbug, you’re a wealth of knowledge today aren’t you?”

Penny laughs as she walks through the door behind Ruby. “I used to love going there as a child. My father made sure to take me to visit all of the museums in Mantle and Atlas at least once. The Collaborational Museum is probably my favorite. Plus, according to Weiss, it has an exceptional food court.”

Ruby’s stomach growls. “F-food court, huh?”

“Ruby you _just_ had cookies and coffee-” Penny raises an eyebrow at them.

“Maybe my stomach wants _real food_ instead of treats,” Ruby whines, pouting. The display makes Penny laugh.

“Maybe you should have eaten a filling breakfast this morning,” She teases as the two start descending the grand staircase. “But I am sure you will find something to your tastes at the museum’s food court. It’s not too far from here, actually.”

“Then let’s goooo!” Ruby says, grinning and tugging their partner along.

Along their way to the museum, Ruby can’t help but notice the obvious differences between the crumbling city below and the futuristic city above. Atlesian guards were everywhere in Mantle, yet Ruby hasn’t seen one once since returning to Atlas. Less people crowd the sidewalks as well- _thankfully_ -but more people can be seen driving cars or being chaperoned from place to place.

Ruby is snapped from their thoughts as what is obviously the museum looms into view. The building encases the entire city block it’s located on and towers above the street. It’s made out of similar materials to the ACL, as well as a similar color palette. Instead of manticore statues framing the entrance, however, it’s marble statues of sphinx grimm. _Atlas elites sure love decorating things with statues of grimm, don’t they? Funny, since most of them have probably never seen a grimm firsthand._

“Wow, everything sure is huge in Atlas,” Ruby comments, “Atlesian nobles have obviously never heard of ‘good things come in little packages’ huh?”

“Oh Ruby, just wait until we get inside!” Penny replies, smiling widely, “You’ll see why it appears so large on the outside.”

“Do we have time to go inside and look around?” Ruby asks, getting out their scroll to check the time. _A little past 3 pm._ “If we want a chance at winning, shouldn’t we just head straight to the food court, eat, snap a selfie, and move on?”

“Oh,” Penny visibly deflates, “I guess you have a point…”

“B-but I guess looking around a little couldn’t hurt!” Ruby shoves their scroll back into their pocket. “Anything specific you wanna see, Penny?”

“The central planetarium!” Penny reinflates and clasps her hands together. “It’s my favorite place in all of the museums in Atlas.”

“Let me grab something from the food court really quick and then we’ll check it out, okay?” Ruby asks, smiling at her. _I’m sure it won’t hurt to go check it out. Plus, I’d rather see her happy over winning this treasure hunt._

“Sounds like a plan, thank you Ruby!” Penny gives them a peck on the cheek before leading the way up into the museum.

Once inside the museum, Ruby easily tracks down the food court thanks to the symphony of wonderful smells coming from it. Penny heads off to find a place to sit while Ruby looks around at the various food stalls. Eventually they track down one with dishes from all over Vale.

Ruby’s silver eyes fall on a dish of xiaolongbao and they’re instantly reminded of the days spent making the dumplings with Yang and Taiyang back home in Patch. So, of course, they order a plate of that before looking for Penny.

“What did you get, Ruby?” Penny asks curiously, cocking her head at the dish. Ruby plucks a dumpling from the plate and sniffs it, grinning at the scent.

“It’s called ‘xiaolongbao.’ It’s a kind of dumpling dish that my dad taught me and Yang how to make as kids. Making it from scratch takes a while, so we’d make it for ‘family days.’” Ruby explains, blowing on the dumpling to cool it down. “Dad’s recipe was so good, even uncle Qrow would pitch in. Mostly so he could sneak bites of the stuffing.”

“Oh that sounds delightful,” Penny smiles and clasps her hands together.

Ruby smiles at her before plunking a whole dumpling into their mouth. They then immediately wince at the definitely-still-way-too-hot food. Penny laughs while they scramble for some water to cool their tongue off with.

After Ruby eventually finishes their food, they return their dishes to the designated area and meet with Penny at the exit to the food court.

“Alright, lightningbug, ready to head off to the planetarium?”

“I sure am,” Penny affirms, linking her arm with Ruby’s again, “Let’s go!”

Penny leads the way through the museum and navigates the hallways effortlessly. Ruby manages to catch glimpses of various exhibits and displays of art, but Penny’s pace keeps them from lingering. 

“Whenever I start feeling doubt or uncertainty, I come here to look at the stars,” Penny tells them as they round another corner.

“Why? Can’t you see the same stars over Atlas?”

“You’ll see why in a second,” She replies before coming to a stop. “Speaking of, we’ve arrived-”

They both pause and stare at the sign placed firmly in front of the doorway into the planetarium exhibit.

**CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE**

“Oh,” Penny deflates again, “I guess you won’t be seeing why today.”

“C’mon Penny,” Ruby huffs at the sign and nudges Penny with their elbow, “When have we ever let rules stop us from doing something fun?”

“Ruby?”

“We can sneak in and out without anyone noticing we were here,” Ruby explains, moving to walk around the sign. “We’ll just take a peek at the stars and then leave.”

“Isn’t that trespassing?”

“Only if they catch us.”

Penny smirks in response and the two of them carefully sneak around the sign. Ruby tugs the door leading into the exhibit open and they slide inside. The room itself is nearly pitch black as the lights are off, but Penny turns up the brightness of her eyes to use them as flashlights.

The redhead makes her way over to the control podium and motions for Ruby to sit down in one of the seats nearby. They do so, and watch as Penny taps away at the control console. Penny finds her way to Ruby’s side and curls up beside them as the projector whirs to life and stars begin appearing.

Ruby squints at the night sky currently above them before realizing, with a jolt, that they’re looking up at the achingly familiar sky above Patch. “Penny, this-”

“-Is the sky over Patch?” Penny finishes as she takes one of Ruby’s hands to hold and rests her head against the brunette’s shoulder, “Indeed it is! The planetarium here is notable in that it can display the stars above several locations in Remnant. Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Mistral proper, plus lesser known locations like Patch. All of the stars all over Remnant, gathered in one place.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Ruby squeezes Penny’s hand as the sky overhead changes. _I remember this sky… it’s like the one over Mistral._ Ruby turns their head to glance down at Penny before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Ruby was always fascinated with the broken moon in Remnant’s sky, but never so much the stars. Not until they met Penny, and they realized the moon would be lonely without all of the stars to keep it company. After that, even after Penny’s ‘death,’ they formed the habit of gazing up at the cosmos whenever they felt lonely.

Penny adjusts her position and curls up closer to ruby as the sky changes yet again. This time, it takes on a faintly red hue as the star’s positions shift. _Vacuo._

“Sometimes… Sometimes I lose perspective of where I am in the world,” Penny whispers, almost too quietly. “I second guess myself, or I feel alone, or I question who I am. Whenever I feel that way, I look up at the stars, either here or above Atlas, and it puts everything back into place. We’re all kind of like stars, traveling along our own paths in the cosmos. I just need to stay my course and see where my path will lead me.” She kisses the back of Ruby’s hand, and the brunette can feel the ghost of a smile against it. “And so far, it’s lead me to some pretty wonderful places, and allowed me to meet some pretty wonderful people.”

Ruby feels a swell of love and affection rise in their throat. They gently tilt Penny’s face up and cup the side of it, rubbing their thumb softly against her cheek. Then they lean down and press a kiss against Penny’s lips.

“Oi, no trespassing allowed! You two, over there-!”

The two of them leap apart and out of their seats. Across the room and heading towards them is a lone guard waving around his flashlight. Penny turns up the brightness of her eyes again, illuminating the man and making him bring up an arm to shield his eyes.

Ruby takes advantage of the action and slings an arm around Penny’s waist. “Hang on!” They tell the redhead moments before activating their semblance and blasting around and past the guard. They leave a trail of petals through the museum as they navigate their way out and down to the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance.

Deactivating their semblance, they gently set Penny down on her feet before collapsing to the ground and panting. “Ruby-!”

“I’m fine!” Ruby holds a hand up, trying to reassure her, “Not used to keeping my semblance activated for that long with another person. Just, let me catch my breath.”

Penny nods and rubs Ruby’s back between their shoulder blades as they pant. A few moments later and Ruby climbs back to their feet with help from an outstretched hand.

“Oh, before I forget…” Ruby takes out their scroll and holds it up for a selfie, making sure the museum is in frame behind them. Penny leans her head on Ruby’s shoulder and smiles as her partner snaps the picture. While Ruby is sending the photo off to Pietro, Penny takes out her scroll to look up their next objective.

“Only one place left, Ruby! The Atlas Academy Armory,” Penny tells the other teen. “It’s a little past 4:30… if we hurry we could win. I doubt the others, save Weiss of course, would know Mantle and Atlas well enough to beat our time.”

“Heck yeah!” Ruby does a fist pump in excitement. “We’ve got this in the bag, we just have to hurry and get back to the Academy.”

“I may know an extremely short and fast way to get there from here, as well,” Penny comments, smirking.

“Really? What is it?”

“Penny travel!” Penny strikes a pose, still smirking. “I’ll sweep you off your feet and carry you there!”

“F-flying?” Ruby’s eyes go wide.

“Do you want to win or not, firefly?” Penny asks, nodding eagerly.

Ruby imagines the look on Weiss’s face at losing the treasure hunt on her home turf and sighs. “Alright, alright, fine. Let’s go.”

Penny clasps her hands together in delight before scooping Ruby up into her arms bridal-style. She smiles at a now-flustered Ruby before activating her jetboots and bolting up into the air. Ruby yelps and clings to Penny’s neck tightly as the redhead begins her flight.

They’re even more grateful for the winter jacket Penny had them put on earlier now. The cold air is biting against their bare cheek, even with aura for protection. Ruby turns their head and buries their face in the crook of Penny’s neck, the warmth of her core helping with the Atlas cold.

After what seems like forever but is actually only a few minutes, Penny is gently setting Ruby down onto their feet outside of the main entrance into Atlas Academy. The brunette stumbles for a second, their legs like jelly after their trip through the air. Penny puts a hand on Ruby’s shoulder to steady them, for which they give her a grateful smile.

“Alright Penny,” Ruby links their arm with Penny’s after recovering from temporary jelly-legs, “Lead the way to the armory.”

Penny grins before taking off. The two partners run in the direction of the armory arm-in-arm as they duck, dodge, and weave their way through throngs of Atlas Academy students. Ruby even thinks they catch a glimpse of team FNKI as they and Penny fly by.

Ruby spots the sign for the armory and grins. _We’re so close to that extra day off, I can taste it!_ Penny reaches the door handle first and flings it open as the two of them slide inside.

Off to one side of the armory, in the weapon maintenance area, Ruby spies Pietro and Maria chatting over cups of coffee. No one aside from them can be seen, and Ruby silently crosses their fingers. _Please let us be first._

“Dad! Maria! We made it!” Penny announces, letting go of Ruby’s arm to half jog over to where the two are chatting.

“Penny, Ruby!” Pietro sets his cup of coffee down, smiling at them. “Congratulations, you’re the first pair to arrive.”

“So we get the extra day off?” Ruby asks, grinning and doing a happy little shuffle in place. Pietro nods his head proudly.

“Indeed you do. You two can talk it over and let me know when you’d like the day off to be, alright? In the meantime, why don’t you two go and enjoy what’s left of this one?” He suggests as Maria continues sipping at her coffee.

Penny slides close to her father and gives him a peck on the cheek. “Sounds like a plan, father! Thank you for the treasure hunt, our tour around the Kingdom was very fun. I will make sure to tell you all about it later.”

“I’m glad to hear it, starlight,” Pietro pats the top of her head, “I can’t wait to hear all about it, too. Now go on, don’t keep your partner waiting.”

Penny grins at him before going back to Ruby’s side. The pair lock arms again as they leave the armory. “So, where to now, Ruby?”

“Maybe a nap?” Ruby asks, yawning. “We got up so _early_ and ran around basically the entire kingdom today.”

“Awh, tired firefly?” Penny asks, leaning over to kiss their cheek. “You definitely deserve a nap. Do you mind if I go with you?”

“Of course not!” Ruby laces their fingers together, “Maybe later… we could go up to that spot on the roof again for some stargazing? You know, since our time in the planetarium got cut short?”

“That sounds lovely, Ruby,” Penny smiles as she leans her head against Ruby’s shoulder as they walk. Ruby can’t resist the urge to press a kiss onto the top of Penny’s head before leaning their cheek against it.

_Out of all of Remnant's stars... none shine brighter than you.  
_

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far: thanks for reading!!  
> This fic was written for a friend for their birthday (again, happy bday!!) because they adore Nuts and Dolts. Part I was planned and written over the course of a week, while Part II was planned and written impulsively last night and finished at 5:30 am this morning haha.  
> A bunch of headcanons and little worldbuilding details were shoved into this and I had a lot of fun planning it out. My friend enjoyed it, so hopefully you did too!
> 
> For background info on the AU: basically Goodwitch goes through the aura transplant device in Pyrrha's place and dies to Cinder, but her determination to keep the maiden powers out of Salem's hands results in her half of the powers going to Pyrrha. Aka, half-maiden Pyrrha who is alive and well in Atlas (and is dating Weiss and Nora).


End file.
